Layered Double Hydroxide Quantum Dots for Use in a Bifunctional Separator of Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Functional separators, which are chemically modified and coated with nanostructured materials, are considered an effective and economical approach to suppressing the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfide (LiPS) and promoting the conversion kinetics of sulfur cathodes. Herein, we report cobalt–aluminum-layered double hydroxide quantum dots (LDH-QDs) deposited with nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) as a bifunctional separator for lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs). The mesoporous LDH-QDs/NG hybrids possess abundant active sites of Co2+ and hydroxide groups, which result in capturing LiPSs through strong chemical interactions and accelerating the redox kinetics of the conversion reaction, as confirmed through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, adsorption tests, Li2S nucleation tests, and electrokinetic analyses of the LiPS conversion. The resulting LDH-QDs/NG hybrid-coated polypropylene (LDH-QDs/NG/PP) separator, with an average thickness of ∼17 μm, has a high ionic conductivity of 2.67 mS cm–1. Consequently, the LSB cells with the LDH-QDs/NG/PP separator can deliver a high discharge capacity of 1227.48 mAh g–1 at 0.1C along with a low capacity decay rate of 0.041% per cycle over 1200 cycles at 1.0C.